Anything and Everything: A Long Family Christmas
by Buddyboy98
Summary: AU; Rose/Jake; Anything and Everything Universe. Christmas and the Holiday Season has always been special to Jake and Rose Long, because in their time together, it was the time when they could relax from fighting various enemies. Join them this season!
1. PART I

**Anything and Everything: A Long Family Christmas **

**Part 1 **

"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Rose Long as she kept pace behind her son. They had just arrived at a Gun Range that Rose herself frequently used and now she was going to teach her son to shot, it wasn't that she wanted to teach him. It was because DJ was aching to learn.

DJ nodded, his mother had assured him that they had all the legal permits to shot any gun that they had and his mother had a lot of guns. From the two cases that she had brought with them to the range, there was a lot to choose from. And he wondered why his mother wasn't locked up in Jail?

"The Sawed Shotgun has a big kick," Rose said, her eyes twinkling in amusement as her slack jawed son looked over the weapons that she had brought, "I would recommend though that you learn to use a hand gun."

He looked up to her, a grin seeping across his face. "And why is that?"

"Because it's like learning to count," She instructed, crossing her arms around her chest and pointing to a handgun that was safely tucked into one of the spaces in the case, "I'd use that one, there's no kick, its silencer compatible and it's fun to use it if you use it responsibly, understand DJ?"

Her son spied her with a pleading look, and Rose's eyebrows in confusion. What was he getting at looking at her like he wanted something, and he knew perfectly well that if he pouted at her long enough, she'd break to his demands. "Alright you little munchkin, what do you want from me?"

"Can I fire your gun," DJ inwardly scolded himself for sounding like a child on Christmas morning, but he did want to do it, "If that's alright of course?"

Rose sighed. As an Agent of the CIA, she was required to keep her badge and gun on her at all times, for two reasons really, if they needed her and she was walking down the street, then she would have all she needed with her and it was for investigation purposes only. "Ehm, I don't know DJ."

"Mom! Please!" DJ asked again, sounding annoyingly petulant.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she lifted up her the hem of her sweater and pulled the gun out of the holster on her right hip. It might have looked a little crazy at first glance, but in the line of work that Rose was in, you needed to be a little crazy. Hesitating for a moment, she wondered if DJ was ready to start shooting guns at the age of fifteen. But who was she to talk? She started shooting them at the age of nine and she was a pretty damn good shot then. When DJ had asked Jake and her if he could start shooting weapons, Jake had no problem with it as long as she was there to watch over him and teach him the correct way to do it.

And she also knew that she was there to iron out any mistakes that he would make before he could ever fall into the habit of making them every time he picked up an gun. Gripping the barrel, she presented the grip to her son and she smiled when he took a firm grip of it. "Government Issued Desert Eagle. I have a dozens of them but this one is special because it's the very first gun that I was given by the superiors. Now what's the first thing that we do here?"

"Take the safety off?" DJ asked raising an eyebrow.

Rose nodded. "Do you know how to do that?"

"With you as a mother? Please, of course I do," DJ smiled easily before indeed finding and flipping the safety off with relative ease, "Next thing that I need to do is make sure that the clip is safely injected into the weapon."

The former Huntsgirl smiled. "We're at a Gun Range sweetie. Things are a little different, let me give you a hint. They go around your ears."

Rose was motioning to the smooth surface of the shooting station, and on it sat a pair of ear muffs, DJ sneered and turned back to his mother. "Are you serious? You've done this for life and you're not even injured or deaf."

She would have been flattered if that were the truth, but it wasn't. Holding up her left hand, she wiggled her pinky, ring and middle finger, no she did have an slight injury and not just to her hand. "I have nerve damage on these three fingers. I can't feel pain on them. And I'm also partially deaf in my left ear from standing about five feet away from a percussion grenade."

Turning on her heel, she proceeded to walk to a chair that was in the back of the narrow room and sit down. Rose hadn't told DJ that she was also doing this to buy time for Jake to Christmas shop, she also hadn't told him that Jake, him and the rest of the kids were going to go do something next week to get them out of the house and give her a chance to shop. Rose's blue eyes were twinkling with expectancy and amusement. "Show me what you got."

Before turning to the now moving targets, he offered her a smile that reminded her too much of his father at that age. "I learned from the best. I suppose how I do will reflect on your teaching skills as well, right Mom?"

"Sure it does honey," Rose sneered dryly at him before making a motion for her to do what they came to do, "Now shoot the damn target before they kill themselves. You know ignore the way your palms are sweating, or how people will think of you when they find that a child of _mine _cannot shot."

She smirked when she heard him grown, and then she leaned back into her chair with a sigh to watch what her son could do. And as the time passed on, she discovered that he was a great shot, he was able to hit the moving targets with ninety percent accuracy. Her eyes boggled with astonishment, and then she wondered if the ability to shoot guns was in their blood. "Damn DJ."

"I told you I was good," He grinned back at her, "It just comes natural."

Rose nodded and stood up from the chair, then walking back to the table were the case was still open. She let her fingers drift over the grips of the weapons and she stopped when she came to a thick grip of a Sawed Off Shot Gun. Lifting it out of the case with ease, she gripped the bottom of the barrel and walked over to the stand that was next to her son. It took five seconds for the targets to begin moving across the range, Rose smirked when she saw the look of incredulity on her sons face and then she brought the weapon up.

Cocking the barrel, she blew a hole through the first target, and then the other and in less than two minutes, all of the targets had a massive hole through them. Setting the gun down on the smooth surface of the range stand, she looked over to her son and smirked at his lowered jaw. "Just because was able to shoot a hole through seven pieces of paper in two minutes doesn't mean that I'm crazy. It means I'm better than you at this."

"Give me a few years Mom," DJ smiled after coming out, "I'll be just as crazy."

"The hell you will," retorted Rose, sticking out her tongue.

* * *

Jake Long didn't know why he had brought his daughters and his sister, but Rose was already busy distracting DJ so that they could come out and do this with some ease. His oldest son had reached that point in his life when we would start to drive and even though it was almost pointless to have a car in New York. It would give him that sense of independence that he knew all teenagers would crave. He spoiled Alyssa with a car of her own when she turned old enough, and Jake was confident that he would do the same thing with Rachel, Michael, Daemon and Kailey when they reached that point.

But for the time being, he had to focus on DJ and what DJ wanted in life, he was a mama's boy, he adored his mother and he would go so far to say that he was closer to his mother than he was to him. Jake wouldn't complain about that, he had been there with his own father and he hadn't talked to the man in twenty five years. "Money really isn't an issue for me, I just want quality."

"We always have quality in mind Mr. Long," The car salesman said with a smile that could easily be described as a feral leer, "How is that Mercedes treating you Mrs. Sindacco?"

Rachel, Haley and Jake all looked to Alyssa who looked at the man with a surprised expression. "We got that car eleven years ago. You remember that?"

"You father practically gave me a blank check, how could I forget?" He responded with a false smile that sent a shudder down all of their spines at once. Jake looked at his daughters and his sister, they had begrudgingly come along with him. But he wanted their opinion on this, Rachel and Alyssa knew their brother very well and he liked to think that his sister knew DJ as well.

"This puppy is straight off of the assembly line," The Salesman continued making a sweeping gesture to a sleek, black, almost glass looking Mercedes Benz. "I'm sure that it'd be adequate enough for a new driver."

"How much?" Jake asked, he might have said that money wasn't an issue, but he would be damned if his son would trash and wreck a half a million dollar Mercedes Benz. Maybe there was a difference between a teenage girl and a teenage boy owning a car outright.

The Car Salesman folded his arms behind his back. "$550,000, plus taxes and expenses and all of the packages of the car, it has a five year warranty and you have two free years of complementary service at our on sight garage."

Haley choked.

Rachel rolled her eyes.

Alyssa scoffed.

Jake simply smiled, a smile that all three of the women knew to be a false smile teetering on the edge of a scowl and possibly more. They all knew that the Car Salesman had to play his game correctly to avoid a thrashing from Jake, and that were sure that wasn't even possible with the man's chose profession. "Now what are the odds that a teenager could trash the inside of that car and then wrap it around a pole? I mean, let's say my son somehow manages to cut that fancy lining in there and then crashes it?"

"W-Well that would be…" He trailed off as Jake approached him.

There was a dark amusement in his eyes and all three of the women couldn't help but giggle and snicker, "…unfortunate for you. Because when I sink Five Hundred Grand into that, and it get's wasted all because you wanted to con me into buying one, I'm going to come back here and find you."

A silence fell over the group, and the three women found themselves looking back and forth from Jake to the Car Salesman. "Are you threatening me?"

"Yes," said Jake with an affirmed nod and stepping forward.

"Oh – Ok, I think we can figure out a little discount for you," The man said sheepishly, making a motion for the party to follow him to the office complex.

Jake turned and faced his daughters and sister. "Works every time."

* * *

**Authors Note:/ This will be a five part story, I can easily say that the last part will be posted on Christmas Eve if nothing else gets in the way of my plans. I actually have to work Christmas EVE of all days and imagining that no one will bother me on CHRISTMAS EVE, I'll write it while I'm on my shift. You know I am still pissed about that, I found out earlier today and I've been walking around like a steamed vegetable all day. Anyway cheers! **


	2. PART II

**Part II **

Rose had been the Huntsgirl and thus she had an innate ability to excel in the areas of a Hunter. Her husband had been the American Dragon and was the direct Heir to the ancient Dragon Imperial Bloodline, so conventional wisdom dictated that their offspring would be six walking question marks. It wasn't like that however. They soon discovered once all of their children had gotten older than the age of four, their powers would be revealed to them. Kailey, Michael, Daemon, Rachel and Alyssa had all inherited Jake's abilities. DJ however did not. She could still remember the night when DJ had come screaming into their room in the middle of the night of how his hand was bleeding and how he had a funny mark.

_

* * *

_

"_MOMMY! DADDY! M-MY HAND IT'S BLEEDING!" DJ Long screamed as he busted into the Master Bedroom of the Long Family Apartment. _

_Rose and Jake both shot up at the sound of their son and his terrified screams, they had just celebrated his seventh birthday last week and since then DJ had been acting strange. It was almost as if he was going through some sort of change. Shaking her head clear of his daze, she watched as Jake picked DJ and she followed him quickly into the bathroom that was located across the hall. Careful to avoid DJ's head, she opened the medicine cabinet and her hands immediately darted to the bandages. Making a motion for Jake to turn the water on, she ripped open the bandage package with her teeth and gently reached up to stroke DJ's Tear Stained cheek. "Baby, this is going to hurt just a little bit. But we're going to have to wash the wound." _

"_Ok," DJ sniffled, "Am I gonna' die Mommy?" _

_She laughed carefully, wanting to avoid sounding cruel. "No, you're not going to die. You've just got a little cut it's just like getting a shot." _

"_Not helping Rose," Jake commented wryly from her side as he began to dab the wound carefully. "So Son, does this hurt?" _

_DJ shook his head, "No, just keep doing it like that." _

_Jake nodded and looked over to Rose with a bit of small grin. "We'll make a tough guy out of him yet." _

_Giggling slightly, she began to stroke the small boy's cheek. "We're gonna get you all patched up and you'll have a little war wound that you can show off to all of your friends." _

_Her blue eyes diverted to the wound that Jake was cleaning. At first she thought that she was hallucinating, but when she did her double take, she did see what she had thought she saw. Her mouth dropped in pure shock, and she didn't even realize that Jake had stopped dabbing the wound and was now wearing her same expression. This was no cut, in fact it looked as if DJ's skin had just simply peeled away forcibly. She blinked a couple more times before realizing that DJ himself had taken to staring at the strange new mark that was on his wrist. "Mommy, what is that?" _

"_Uh," Rose stammered for a moment before sharing a glance with her husband who shook his head derisively. For a moment she wanted to scoff and tell him to piss off. But then she remembered that this was a small boy and he wasn't ready, "It means that you're special, it means that you're different from your siblings. You're more like me. Alyssa and the rest the family are like Daddy."_

_DJ reached down to his mother's right wrist and began to stroke the Mark, "It looks like yours." _

"_I know," She said reaching over and running her fingers over the freshly exposed Mark, "I was born with mine. But I think because Daddy's a Dragon, it was hidden. It'll stop hurting in a few minutes. Why don't we go into the kitchen and get you an icepack over that so you can go to sleep? That sound good baby?" _

_He nodded enthusiastically and hopped off of the counter –with a strange agility that hadn't been there a few hours prior- and bolted out of the bathroom. Rose looked over to Jake –who was now wearing a look of pure shock on his face- and smiled. "So Jake, that moment was purely surreal. What are you thinking?" _

"_I'm thinking that my Grandfather is spinning in his grave," responded Jake with a toothy grin. _

"_Well at least I've got one child to train, one less that you have too," Rose commented folding her arms across her chest. _

_Jake shook his head, "No, if you going to do it than do it subtly and don't indoctrinate him with all of that 'Magical Creatures are inferior' bullshit." _

"_Well gee Jake," Rose stared at him mockingly, "Did I express desire to train our son to kill you and his brothers and sisters when he's older?" _

"_Just checking," He snickered. _

* * *

"Mom!" DJ shouted and when Rose returned to the present, she immediately put her foot on the break as they reached the stop bar of an intersection.

Rose put her hand on her chest and breathed in deeply, "Oh my god."

"Getting a little distracted are we?" DJ teased. Sure the fact that his mother had been barreling towards a stop sign at forty miles per hour had worried him, but he was made of tougher stuff to let it show on his face.

She turned and stuck her tongue out at him, "Screw you toadstool."

"Don't bite my head off," He raised his hand up in surrender, "Just saying."

Rose nodded her head begrudgingly. "I know. You know Jackie invited us up to her house for brunch, what do you say about going up there?"

Narrowing his eyes, his eyebrows rose. "Jackie's cool and all Mom, but I'd rather plunge head first off of the Dragon Council Palace than spend a day with her eating. I'd be bored out of my mind and I'd have no one to talk-…"

"Johnny, Erin and _Marissa_ will all be there," Rose added coyly.

DJ blushed and that drew a sharp laugh from Rose, "Will Daniel be there?"

"No," Rose answered lowly, "You can make your move today!"

"She's about to turn seventeen," DJ said lowering his head, partly to hide his continuous blush from his mother and to hide his sad tone, "I'm going to be sixteen in a month and you know I don't think she'd even like me."

Rose scoffed, "Gee DJ, you're so much like your father when it comes to girls. You know what all you have to do is try. And besides, I have no qualms about you dating an older girl. As long as she doesn't buy you cigarettes or beer I'd say saddle up and ride cowboy."

"Mom!" DJ snapped, shaking his head in an involuntary laugh.

"Sorry Kid," Rose smirked, "I didn't know you were so touchy."

Folding his arms across his chest, he looked back to her, "Speaking of brunch? How long are you planning to keep me out so Dad can go out and buy me this big present that he's been so insistent on hiding from me?"

"What I don't-…" Rose stopped at the exasperated look.

Sighing she tapped her hands on the wheel. "Alright how did you know?"

"Mama didn't raise no fool," DJ responded with a smirk.

Rose narrowed her eyes, "Ok, you don't know what it is though?"

"No," DJ confirmed with a nod, "I have no clue, but I know it's something."

"Good," Rose said with a single nod, "He'll give me a call when he's bought it and hidden it from you. You'll get it on Christmas Day and I shall reveal nothing more. And Johnny, Erin, Jackie and Marissa were all drafted to distract you and they know about the Gun Range so be prepared."

DJ smirked with a snort of laughter, "Crazy talk about Guns?"

"Exactly," Rose laughed, "You'll find that if you group people like me together in a room for several hours at a time, the conversation get's weird."

* * *

**AN:/ Just wanted to set this up for the rest of the story, yes DJ has the Mark of the Huntsclan and yes this will be important in Anything and Everything 4: New Horizons. Leave me a review if you would be so kind?**


	3. PART III

**Part III **

When it came to her children, things were complicated to say the least. It wasn't as if she could stand up in the middle of a PTA meeting and announce to the whole room what she did for a living or how she was qualified to do that, standing up in front of a room of soccer moms and saying '_I seek out and deal with threats to the United States_' wasn't exactly a conversation starter. It wasn't as if she could announce to them that her children go probably kick all of their children's asses before kindergarten. So she was limited to really being herself in her work capacity and when she was home. And that felt so very bonding to Rose. That thought scared her out of her wits because she had never liked to feel caged and bonded whatsoever.

But she had made her bed when she fell in love with Jake and had her children, and she was now determined to see it through and make sure that she could raise those children better than she was raised. It would be a constant balancing act between her and Jake, trying to exert their influence over their children. He had an advantage with the other five, but he lacked _severely_ when it came to DJ. DJ was a Mama's Boy and he had been that way his entire life and never once had he been ashamed to say it. Why would he? Rose wasn't one of those Florence Henderson, June Clever housewives, she was a tough broad and no boy, let alone a teenage boy, would be ashamed to say that they respected her. But DJ didn't just respect her, he_ adored_ her.

He had learned from her the balances of life, and the things that you needed to know in life to have a successful one and he had learned her work ethic to the tee. Rose was more than willing to admit that DJ was her favorite. She was even more willing to admit that Alyssa was her least favorite, because well, Alyssa reminded her so much of herself and she hated to see that. But don't take that too literally, she loved all of her children and she would move heaven and hell to give them what they wanted and to protect them from every danger that came their way. "Mom! Mom! You're getting distracted again. Do you need me to drive?"

Rose sighed and looked over to DJ. The boy's dark brown hair was ruffled from the nap that he had taken on the drive up there. "No, I was just thinking about some things – You know? Why are you concerned?"

"Uh, yeah," DJ answered back with a tad bit of an annoyance in his voice, "Why? Should I be concerned that you're thinking about other things and I might end up in a head on because of your brilliant _thinking_?"

With an annoyed glare, Rose bit out a sigh of exasperation, "Well if you must know DJ, I was thinking about you and how much you've grown up. I mean I can still remember your first Christmas, your first soccer game, all of that sentimental crap and now you've done it and grown up on me. What happened to us son?"

"What do you mean by that?" DJ asked genuinely curious.

"Well," Rose stopped for a moment, "You used to wait on me hand and foot and you used just chew out every single person that ever talked crap about me. You know, have we just grown apart like I have with Alyssa?"

DJ sighed and ran his hand through his ruffled hair, "Mom, first off, forgive me for not wishing to remain your slave for the rest of my life, I'll still cook you breakfast in bed when you're sick or its Mother's Day or something but I do have a life of my own. And as far as the other thing goes, Mom? Do you remember Grant?"

"That kid that you were friends with for years and then you suddenly hated, yeah, why?" She asked.

"He-…How can I say this without this being awkward…eh…?" DJ hesitated to find the words and when he finally did, Rose noticed that his skin had grown from its fair complexion to a beat red. Rose put two and two together in her head and she came up with the most logical of explanations and she was almost regretting starting this line of questioning. She didn't need to know what happened in the heads of teenage boys.

DJ turned and looked out the window, "Uhm, you came to school one day to pick me up and for some reason you were wearing a skirt. Grant was looking at your legs like you were a piece of a meat and then he had the gull to tell me that my mother was hot. So to make this story short, I told him to go fuck himself and then I decked him. So Mom I'm still a Mama's boy, I've just moved up in the level of my devotion towards you."

She sat that for what seemed a long time, absorbing the words that her son had just told her. Several things were terribly funny to her at that point, first her son's former friend was openly telling his friends that he found a forty five –almost fifty- year old woman hot. The second was the image of her son punching his lights out and displaying the self control not kill the poor kid and the third was the image of that boy's face if he knew that her husband was a dragon who was fond of tearing people a part when they looked at her life that.

"Did you eh …knock him out?" Rose asked trying to sound as casual as possible.

DJ looked over to her and chuckled, "And I also made his nose bleed."

"Why did I never hear about this exactly?" She asked, that was even more curios too her because as far as she knew, she was aware of everything that happened in her children's academic careers.

"Because Dad got to me first and when I told him about what happened and more importantly why I did it, he told me I did the right thing and that you never had to find out about it," He explained rather sheepishly.

Rose snorted and shook her head, men, it seemed, always had each other's backs when it came to defending the honor of women. Like she needed help, but Jake had always took it upon himself to be that way with her, knowing full and well that she could kick anyone's ass that she pleased. What was even more amusing about it was the fact that Rose could kick Jake's ass up and down the block if she wanted too and he had the guts to walk around and defend her from the people that stared at her like a piece of meat. "Well as long as you broke his nose, that means you're my child and I'm just as proud of you as your father is, thank you son."

"No need to thank me Mom," DJ sighed, this had been nearly a year prior and he was just now beginning to get over it, but she was going to force him to relive all of his, "I wanted to rip is balls off, but I'd be arrested."

"I'd spring you," Rose winked with a bit of a knowing smirk, "CIA Investigation, I have those privileges."

His brows furrowed, "You'd abuse those for me?"

"Damn straight," She proclaimed with a gleeful smirk, "You're my baby boy, and I love you."

DJ flushed and looked down at his lap, "Thanks Mom. So, how long until we get to Jackie's?"

"About twenty minutes I would say," Rose answered looking road, she had to memorize most of the Long Island road system for CIA purposes and she could now find her way back to Manhattan Blindfolded if she was force too, "Do you want to stop at a gas station and get something to eat before we get there?"

"Is the food going to be crappy?" DJ asked.

Rose nodded, "DJ, Jackie's nearly seventy, she may be kicking and she may still be able to kick my ass if she wanted to, but her ability to cook food is going downhill with her age. So I ask again, do you want to stop?"

"No," DJ shook his head, feeling thoroughly awkward and seeing no opportunity for it to end, "I'll wait."

* * *

Twenty years ago, Johnny Sindacco would have never believed his eyes at the sight in front of him, and even after twelve years of knowing his Mother, Grandmother and Cousin, it was still hard for him to wrap his head around. Sitting in the toasty living room of his Grandmother's home, Jackie and Erin Hutchinson were having a lively conversation while his cousin Marissa Behrens was in the Kitchen trying to fix herself a sandwich from the luncheon meat that Jackie had made available. The sight warmed his heart unbelievably.

Marissa had grown up in the care of Jackie since she had been found among the Lost Hunters in the abandoned Huntslair more than a decade ago and not only that, she had been trained by Jackie as well, giving her the skills and the knowledge of the legendary Huntress. In all honesty, the girl bore a striking resemblance to his mother. With her flowing black tresses that reached down far enough to her narrow waist and the striking emerald eyes. She had inherited the incredibly dominate Hutchinson Genes and she could have been mistaken for a younger Erin or Jackie for that matter. "John, are you done standing there?"

"No," Johnny shook his head with a laugh, "I just talked with Rose. She and DJ are pretty close."

"Oh," Marissa blushed slightly as she put her sandwich into the microwave, "Is that so?"

Johnny chuckled at the look on her face, "I take it he's gotten you a little flustered?"

"Shut up Johnny," She hissed before looking at the timer on the microwave and thinking to herself that this was the longest two minutes of her life, "Ok, he's adorably cute and I want to just kiss him all over. But that's beside the point. He's your brother in-law and Alyssa would kill me if I made a move on her brother."

"I don't think so, in fact I know that both Alyssa and Mrs. Long smile at the thought of you and DJ," He said.

Marissa put her hands on her hips and blew her bangs out of her face, "It's not just that either. I'm older than he is, albeit by only a few months but still it would be a little strange when I'm eighteen and he's younger."

"Mrs. Long is younger than Mr. Long," Johnny retorted with a sly smile, "But then again I'm only repeating the argument that they make when the subject comes up or you and DJ getting together."

"And that's happening?" Erin Hutchinson's voice sounded from the Kitchen Entrance.

Johnny looked over at his mother and nodded at her before allowing a conspiratorial wink to pass between them. She had aged gracefully, if you could say that she aged at all. The only real evidence that she had aged was the slight grayness in her mane of hair, and the slight seasoning that her face had gone through in the twelve years since he had first met her. Her smile was still has kind, and she always seemed to wear this look of amusement. "Yes Mom. Rose has informed me that he likes our Marissa here and Marissa seems to confirm that this little crush is mutual. I think Rose will be so thrilled that they both like each other."

Putting her hands on her hips, she rolled her eyes and walked further into the kitchen, "Oh yes, certainly."

"Are we having a bad day Erin?" Marissa asked, scowling at their judgment of her feelings.

"Not so much," Erin shrugged, "I'm just getting very bored talking with my mother, are you two going to come out of here eventually? And I mean when Rose gets here she's gonna go on and on about just crap."

Johnny chuckled, "We're supposed to distract DJ, and I think we can do that."

"Oh I think we can do that," Erin smiled as she took a sip of water that she had poured herself.

"And I know of a few things that Marissa could do to distract him," Johnny chuckled at his beat faced cousin.

Erin giggled at her son's comment and looked back to Marissa with a bright grin, "You have to know something about Rose's children. They're arrogant, way _too_ sure of themselves, but they're attractive and sweet people and they would move hell and heaven to protect those whom they love, think about it _Rissa_."

* * *

**AN:/ In the next installment, we'll have this nice interaction with DJ, Rose and the rest of the Hutchinson Family. Not to mention the most important fact that you have to wonder here, WHAT IN THE RUDDY HELL ARE JAKE, ALYSSA, RACHEL and HALEY DOING? Leave me a review …please :)**


	4. PART IIII

**Part IV**

For twenty years, Jake and his family had run Christmas like it was a game. Since Rose had returned, they had made a routine of one parent taking the Children out and distracting them while the other dealt with the decorations and the presents. This had grown considerably easier in the past few years with the additions to the family and their list of friends. Kailey, Michael and Daemon were now being handled by Luong so that cleared the younger kids out of the house, and with Rose, Erin, Johnny, Jackie and Marissa taking DJ's time, they virtually had every base covered. "Rachel, go to your room and don't' leave it."

"Is this the part where you decorate the house for Christmas?" His daughter questioned.

Jake glared at her and nodded, "Yes, and if you want your gifts then you'll do as I say."

"Fine," Rachel returned the glare one more time before turning on her heels and departing the living room. Jake waited for the customary slam of her door before turning to his Daughter and Sister and giving them a nod and smile. It was time to decorate the house.

Alyssa put her hands on her hips, "Daddy, you shouldn't be so tough on her."

"Lyss, I'm working off of experience," Jake commented before turning to Haley.

The younger Long Sibling had been clearing the Christmas Items out of the various closets in the Apartment. It was clear that Christmas was a well prepared holiday in their home, twenty boxes of lights, ornaments, decorations and various mementos were now sitting on the couch. And of course there was the Christmas tree. It was fake of course. But it was a beautiful tree and it still one of the largest trees that he had ever seen apart from the Rockefeller Center Tree, standing at Nine feet. "Lyss, you help Haley get the tree up."

"And what are you going to do? Sit on your ass?" Alyssa snapped. She didn't like decorating for the holidays in her own home let alone her parents. But it was a tradition in the family.

Jake smiled, "As much as you wish, no, I'm going to go get the gifts from my hiding places and wrap them. I want your brothers and sisters to see what your mom and I got them."

"And tease them?" Alyssa added, and Jake smirked in remembrance.

Back in the days when it was just she and him, he'd the Christmas Tree up and the gifts out on December 1st and toy with her for the entire twenty five day span, he still did that with his other children but to a lesser degree. It appeared that with the addition of age and Rose he had gotten the parenting thing down, his sons were mannered, polite and obedient when they needed to be and his daughters were almost a complete three hundred sixty degree turn from Alyssa. "You'll be happy to know that I've grown up since you were a kid."

"And since I'm no longer a child," Alyssa said quickly walking over to her father and grasping the collar of his shirt, "I demand that you show me that damn hiding place."

Jake chuckled, "We don't even live in the same place, and they've changed."

"Conventional Wisdom says that you'd hide them in the same place as you did when we lived in the old place," Alyssa said tightening her grip, "As the American Dragon and one of your many abused kids, I demand that you show me where you hide them."

The former American Dragon pouted his lips and spoke to her in a falsetto voice that pissed everyone off, "_Oh is the little kid inside the big bad American Dwagon angwy_?"

"I'd listen to her Jake," Haley snickered from the couch as she unfurled the seemingly endless lights from their spools, "She seems pretty adamant about seeing where they are."

Jake turned his head towards his sister and stuck his tongue out at her, "Bite me."

Returning the gesture in kind, she cleared her throat, "I'm sorry, but I don't want to vomit."

"Seriously Daddy," Alyssa said, she was more serious this time, "Call it a dream of mine."

He looked at her with an amazed expression, "Oh god Alyssa, you're serious aren't you?"

"Yes I am," She affirmed walking forward and burying her head in the crook of her Father's arm and nuzzling him, "Please Daddy, Please, I promise I'll be a good girl."

Jake rolled his eyes and pushed his daughter gently away from him, "Alright you little shit."

"Yay," Alyssa smiled before she shared an amused glance with her Aunt.

* * *

Luong wrapped his jacket tighter around him and sighed as watched his cousins swoon over the Statue of Liberty. He hadn't known what to do with them, when his Uncle had called him and told him to get them out of the apartment, he was looking out the window and the first thing that he had seen was the Statue. And if Manhattan was cold during the winter, it was even colder on Liberty Island in the middle of winter, while it was snowing.

The cold had drained him completely and he wondered why his little cousins were so energized, well at least Michael and Daemon were –They were acting like they had never seen the Statue before- Kailey on the other hand was clinging at his side as if life depended on it.

"I want to go home," Kailey whined as she rubbed her hands together, "It's so cold!"

He chuckled and ruffled the little girl's dirty blonde hair, "Your Dad told us to stay out."

"I'm gonna tell Mom on him!" Kailey scowled.

Again Luong chuckled and took the little girls features in. While his other cousin Rachel bore a resemblance to his mother, Kailey and Alyssa looked like their mother. The button nose, the natural blond locks and the penitent for scowling, she might have been eleven years old, but he still thought of the girl as a toddler and probably always would. "That won't work."

"And why not?" She asked again, agitation growing in her blue eyes.

"Because she's doing the same thing with DJ," Luong responded, "They're working together to make sure that you guys have a great Christmas. So let's just suck it up and wait."

Kailey crossed her arms over her chest, "Fine, but I am not happy, Not at all."

"Neither am I," Luong said patting the girl on the shoulder with a bored sigh.

He turned to look at the boys. They were currently giggling and running around on the grass as if they were baboons or something. Luong shook his head incredulity and then his eyes widened when he saw Michael – the more hyper of the twins- with his pants around his ankles and mooning the Statue of Liberty. He choked down laughter and looked down at Kailey, who was disgusted by her brothers. "Are you sure that they're related to you Kay?"

* * *

It was cold as hell and Rose wanted nothing more than to get inside and eat whatever putrid food Jackie had to offer. When she was younger she would have eaten pretty much anything that was given to her, but then her appetite had gotten severely picker when she was pregnant with Alyssa and it had stayed that way. In some ways she could argue that her five other pregnancies had diminished the food that she loved, but in the years after she had her tubes tied, that statement was less than valid. But it would always be valid for Jackie's food.

Pressing the lock button on her car keys, she stowed them in her pocket and motioned impatiently for DJ to catch up to her. Twelve years ago she had made this very same journey in the rain and with her son in-law, and it was surreal to her that when she had done that, DJ was three and was as tall as her knee. But he was fifteen now and he was just as tall as she was and it made her feel old.

Throwing a hand around DJ's shoulder, she pulled him to her as they walked down the smooth walkway, "Now I want you to be on your best behavior. You remember the story of when I first came to this house and how Jackie reacted to me?"

"How she wanted to fillet you?" DJ asked. His lip twitched in amusement.

Rose nodded with a smile, "Now if you piss her off and she puts a knife to your throat, I don't want to have to kick a sixty year olds ass. Not to mention, Johnny, Erin and Marissa."

When she thought of Marissa, she remembered the fondness that she felt for the girl when she had first met her. But then she also remembered where she had found her and the reasons why. She would also never forget the day that the murderers of those kids were punished, it was a brutal and almost scary day on the Isle of Draco.

And it was also the first time she had seen her husband ever kill someone without provocation. It was a side of Jake that she hadn't seen since and hoped to never see again.

* * *

"_Your division not only violated my orders," Jake began to pace the length of the room that the interim Dragon Council had provided them, "You not only murdered innocent people, but you killed infants. Children that didn't know any better, that couldn't even talk. You should all be ashamed to be alive after what you did. And I what I hate even more about this, is the fact that you five actually make me want to go back in time and send you to the Huntsclan myself so that they could slay you and skin you all alive. It's only fair." _

_Before Jake were the five Dragon Captains that had stormed the Huntsclan Academy shortly after Huntsman Sindacco was killed, they had that blank look of discipline that all Soldiers had, but Jake could see that they were just aching to question his logic. _

_Behind him stood Rose, Jackie and Erin, it was unknown to the soldiers why they were there, but it was for a number of reasons, all of which were not good for the men. It was Dragon Law that if a family member was killed, the family of the victim had the right to take justice. That's why the Dragon Council had allowed them to be there. And the soldiers were in the dark in terms of what was about to happen to them. _

"_I assume that you are all aware the Wesson Accords of 1838?" Jake said stopping in front of the men and crossing his arms over his chest. As soon as the mention of that law left his lips, the five pairs of eyes shot wide and stared at him in incredulity. _

_The solider on the far right looked positively astounded, "With all due respect general, what does that law have to do with us? We did not kill any of your family members in the raid." _

"_No," Jake shook his head a motioned to the two brooding, dark haired women who were standing just behind him, "But you did kill one of their family members, and as of an hour before you arrive here, the Council Approved the Wesson Action. Gentleman, you will be the first people to die from that law in decades. You're families will be given the news of your death in combat as to save you from shame, let's just get this over with." _

"_General Long," One of the men said quietly. _

_Jake looked at the man and narrowed his eyes. "Yes, Solider?" _

"_If you are going to enact the Wesson Accord," His voice broke for a moment before he cleared his throat, "I-I …w-wish, I wish for you to do it yourself, to give me some dignity." _

_The former American Dragon scowled for a moment before tossing a glance over his shoulder at Erin and Jackie. They gave him a stiff nod and then Jake let out an exhausted sigh, he hated doing this, but these men violated orders and had committed crimes that were unspeakable, "Are you sure that you want me to kill you Solider?" _

"_Yes Sir," He began shakily, "Jus-Just make it quick." _

* * *

That had been the retribution that Jackie and Erin could have at the murder of a family member and after it happened, they refused to even acknowledge that it happened. She didn't blame them, in fact she would have wanted bury her head in the sand. But they had gotten to raise Marissa and that perhaps was the silver lining. "Mom, I think you need a CAT Scan. That has got to be the third time today that you've sort of went blank."

Rose shook her and patted her son on the shoulder as they walked up the immaculate porch, "I've just had a lot on my mind. Just shut up and act adorable and interested."

DJ snickered as he reached forward and tapped the doorbell, "If I must."

* * *

**Authors Note: We're going to have the next chapter devoted to the Hutchinson Family, DJ and Rose. Then we'll send everyone home for the night. Did I mention that its December 23rd currently in this story so that means that there aren't that many parts left to this!**

**Please leave a review for me and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays too you!**


	5. PART V

**Part V **

These were the moments in her life in which she really valued the use of her Dragon Wings. All around her brother's apartment, lights, ornaments and other various decorations created an atmosphere that provided the perfect background setting to the grand looking tree. It was tall, thick and shrouded with all sorts of lights and tinsel. The ornaments however were something special this year, when Haley was putting the tree together, her brother and directed her to use only one box. She was curious to know why Jake only wanted one box, but when she opened it, she completely understood.

There were perhaps hundreds of ornaments in the box. Haley could tell that Rose herself had made this box due to it organized way. Each one had been wrapped in thin paper, and each one had been labeled with initials, ages and years. Alyssa Long, David Jacob Long, Rachel Long, Michael Long, Daemon Long and Kailey Long, there was an ornament for each of their birthdays. It was one of those touching traditions that Haley saw often in her family.

She had hung them all gingerly, taking time to look at the photos of her nieces and nephews as they grew older. From Alyssa in pigtails, to Rose and Jake both tackling and tickling Michael and Daemon on their tenth birthday, to one that strangely warmed her heart, Alyssa, Rachel, Kailey and Rose all standing in a portrait that was one of Rachel's ornaments. "Damn Jake, since when did you become a sappy, romantic family man that did this regularly?"

"Since Alyssa hit puberty," Jake remarked dryly as he and his oldest daughter pushed presents around the tree. That was more than just a joke.

He had been force to become more sensitive when his daughter had started to mature. Without Rose he had been forced to play both father and mother. He had gone with her to buy her first bra, first tampons, sports functions and school functions. One of the secrets that Alyssa and Jake had kept between themselves were those time when he would talk to her about boys and comfort her about them, he knew that if Rose would ever find out about that, she would tease him to the grave. Jake looked over to a smirking Alyssa, "From the ages of eleven to thirteen Daddy turned into a virtual woman with all of things that he did."

"And unless you want to see your next year baby girl," Jake glared at her with lightheartedness behind his eyes, "I'd keep those things between us."

Alyssa winked at him and punched her father's shoulder lightly, "I know Daddy, so what's in that big box?"

"That's one of your Mother's gifts, I think it's for your brother," He said reaching over and looking at the tag, "Yeah, it's for DJ."

She rolled her eyes, and looked up to the tree. Right at her eyelevel was one of her ornaments. It was a picture of her sixth birthday. She looked so cute with her soft looking bright pigtails and her bright smile. Alyssa groaned and reached forward to lightly pluck it off of the tree, "Oh god, I thought you burned these."

Jake smirked and plucked the delicate ornament out of Alyssa's fingers. That photo was special to him for a number of reasons, not because it showed his little girl when she was indeed still little. It was because it was one of the few pictures of Alyssa that had been taken by his mother. He remembered her sixth birthday like it was yesterday. It had been a small affair at his mother's home, just him, Alyssa and Susan. She had baked Alyssa a cake and she had gotten his daughter her very first bicycle. "Oh, you were such a sweet child, so caring and loving. Even when I and your Grandmother fawned over you, you still found the time to fawn over us. I think that was the last year you wore the pigtails anyway, you starting braiding your hair like your mother. You were so sweet, what happened?"

Alyssa scowled and punched her father in the shoulder again, "I think when all the Long women mature. They turn into either Mom or Haley."

"And you turned out like your mother?" Haley asked from the other side of the tree.

"I think so," Alyssa shrugged, "I mock my children, but also shove my foot up anyone's ass who upsets them, that includes Johnny for your information."

Jake smiled and scooted forward on his knees to come behind Alyssa. And in a display of fatherly affection that he hadn't show to her in a very long time, he wrapped his arms around his daughter's stomach and laid his chin on her shoulder. Alyssa snickered slightly and moved her hands over her father's to squeeze them tightly, "You know I don't say this enough Lyss, but I will always think of you as that little girl who changed my life forever. And no matter how much I hate the fact that your stupid little husband took you from me, I am happy that I gave you the life that I did. You made me a grandfather, which is still pretty weird to me. But you know I can take solace in the fact that you are so much like your mother, because that means that you get to put Johnny what I've gone through."

The oldest Long Child giggled slightly and sniffled, "I don't know how you always make me cry when you talk like that."

"It's because I mean it," Jake said reverting back to what his previous tone of voice, "You're my little girl, and you and I will always have a differently relationship from your brothers and sisters because when you were growing up it was just me and you. I don't think your mother can even top that."

She smiled, the last time that she and her father had talked like this was at her wedding _fifteen _years ago. Alyssa didn't know why, maybe it was because they had drifted in the years since, she had her kids and husband to worry about not to mention her duties as the American Dragon, and he had her mother and siblings to contend with which was a handful in itself. It had saddened her deeply in that moment to realize that she had indeed become distanced from her father and despite everything that she had in her life, she felt that she still had to be daddies little girl, "Am I still daddies little girl?"

"Do you still want to be?" Jake asked quietly.

It was almost too embarrassing to even admit, but she tugged her head up and down, "I hope Kailey and Rachel have been keeping my spot warm."

"They're closer to your mother," Jake answered, his eyes darting to medium sized box that was laying on top of one of the dozens of boxes, "Don't get me wrong, I'm just as protective over them and I love them just as much as you and I'd do anything for them. But you'll always be my little _lyss-lyss_, eh?"

That was enough of that, Alyssa's shoulders began to shake in amusement as she leaned back and kissed her father on the cheek, "I love you so much Daddy."

"I love you too baby girl," Jake smiled before kissing her gently in return and reaching out to grab the box that he had noticed, lifting up the tag, he reaffirmed that this was indeed Alyssa's special gift and placed it gingerly in her outstretched hands, "You can open this one early, your mother doesn't know that I got it for you and it'll sort of be our little secret. Just don't go showing it off, understood?"

With the enthusiasm of a child, Alyssa began to peel the tape off of the neatly wrapped box and in own swift motion, she ripped the paper off. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw the elegant emblem of the store written on the outwardly black leather box. Tiffany's Jewelry was one of the most famous jewelry stories in the world. People from all over the world went to that store to buy their jewelry and Alyssa couldn't help but wonder what her father could have possibly gotten there.

Looking back to her father, her big doe eyes began to twinkle in delight. Then she turned her attention back to the box and pried it open with her thumb. Inside were the two largest diamond earrings that she had ever seen in her life, they were about the size of her thumb fingernails.

"Eight Carat," Jake whispered tenderly, "I thought you'd like it, you can return them if you want to, but please don't tell me about it."

He didn't even get to finish his thoughts, before Alyssa spun in his arms and tackled him. Their laughs filled the room and it was a heartwarming sight as the thirty six year old Alyssa Long-Sindacco hugged her father as tightly as she did when she was fifteen, "I don't think I'll be returning them, I love it."

Jake laughed and patted Alyssa on the back, their moment was interrupted by the sound of a light sob. Both Jake and Alyssa looked up to see Haley wiping tears from her face, "My God Jake that was beautiful."

* * *

There were three things in Jackie Hutchinson's life that were at the utmost importance to her, health, happiness and family. If she didn't have her health then she wouldn't have the happiness that it took to be with her family and she fully admitted that she considered the Longs family just as much as she considered her son in-laws. She looked at Rose as if she was her daughter, and she treated Rose's children like they were her Grandchildren. She sent them money on their birthdays and at Christmas, she gave them advice. Hell she was even a regular at Rachel Long's Soccer Games, that's how far that bond went, "Hey Jackie, how they hanging?"

"Eh," She shrugged as she ushered Rose and DJ deeper into the cozy warmth of her home, "They still work when they need too, I don't complain."

Rose laughed, "That's how I want to look at life when I get your age."

"I'm almost seventy Rose," Jackie said, "You'll be grateful to make to this age, you really won't care if you're growing a beard and going senile."

* * *

Erin fidgeted nervously with the hem of her sweater. She didn't know why she acted like this every time she saw Rose. When they were kids, they had been the best of friends, but everything had to be a competition between them and Rose always seemed unfazed by life. It had always been who could run faster, punch harder, kick higher. Now it was whose kids were nicer, and whose hair was slowly turning grayer, or who had the most sex –that one was Rose hands down- it still seemed like only yesterday that they were kids. It was only a testament to how fast time flied when you had fun.

When Rose appeared in the doorway, she wore a smirk on her face, "Hi."

"Hi Rose," Erin said getting up from the couch and walking over to her best friend near the door, "Thanksgiving didn't do anything for your weight."

"Ouch," Rose mocked, "I see sitting on your shower massager and watching television with a slice of pizza in your hand didn't help yours either."

Erin laughed and reached forward to hug the other woman, "How are you."

"I took DJ to the gun range," Rose said with a knowing smile.

"Oh," Erin said looking back to DJ who was seemingly trapped in a conversation with Jackie in the main room, "They grow up so fast."

"I know, the little shit can shoot better than I can," Rose allowed, knowing exactly what Erin herself would think about that statement. She had been one of the best shots in the Huntsclan, and now she was one of the best in the world. It seemed that she was opening herself up for a series of barbs to tell Erin that she had been outdone by her sixteen year old son.

Erin's eyes were about the size of plates at that proclamation, "I doubt that."

"No, he had a better accuracy and time rate then I've ever had," Rose said with a serious look on her face. That worked on Jake, but never on Erin.

"Stop yanking my chain," Erin said putting her hands on her hips, "You shot a man in the head that was in a moving car, a thousand meters away on top of a ridge. Now he may have been able to shoot five little ducks in row in a Long Island Gun Range, but he'll never have the experience that you have."

Rose reached back and her hand slipped into the back pocket of her tight fitting jeans. Pulling out the folded piece of paper, she handed it to Erin and watched as the other woman unfolded it and began to read it. "Damn Rose, I take that back. You're still a better shot, but he'll be the best when he's older …wait…_ninety eight_ percent accuracy? Two seconds? Damnit that's good."

"I know," Rose turned back to Jackie and DJ and looked at her child, he had so much going for him and Rose could almost see his future, it would look similar to hers, "I think we're going make a CIA Agent out of him yet."

* * *

Johnny tugged at his cousin's hand and pulled her out of the kitchen, she had told him throughout the day that she was going to stay there. But Johnny was using his strength against her and thus he was slowly pulling her out of the kitchen by both of her arms. It was only until they were out in the living room that he was sure that she couldn't get away from this, "Hey Mrs. Long, Marissa was so excited to see you and DJ that she wanted to rush out."

"R-Right," Marissa adlibbed on her cousins story, "Sorry about the hold up."

"I wasn't born yesterday," She said putting her hands on her hips, she wore a coy smile, "Now Marissa come here and stand next to me."

When she asked for something, she almost always got it. Marissa complied with a slight nod of her head and walked to join Rose under the doorframe with a nervous smile. Then Rose turned back to Jackie and DJ, and she brought a hand up to wag a finger to him, "DJ, be a good boy and come."

As he had been situated to do since he could walk, DJ quickly left Jackie side and came to stand next to his mother. In the successive process of three movements, she moved out of the way of both DJ and Marissa and edged them closer together. Then looking to her side, she spied a plant and gently ripped a leaf off of it, "I'm gonna pretend that this is a mistletoe."

She held it up between Marissa and her son and smiled, "Alright get it over with."

* * *

**Authors Note: Well what did you think? **


	6. PART VI

**Part VII**

Rose wished that she had her camera to capture the priceless look on her son's face, not to mention the bright looking flush that was on Marissa. She knew that DJ would give her endless shit about this later, but she couldn't help herself, she loved putting her children on the spot. And she watched in avid curiosity as the two teenagers hesitated and looked around to the other people in the room for any kind of leadership, pointedly ignoring Rose. They would find none. As far as she knew Jackie thought the idea of DJ and Marissa was cute, Johnny laughed at it every time he mentioned it and she was fairly sure that Erin shared her mother's opinion on it, the grin and the watery eyes were a clear indication anyway.

Putting her hands on her hips, Rose leaned against the door frame and watched her son do his thing. It was the first time that she had ever seen him kiss a girl. She knew that he had gotten drunk before, she knew that he had smoked, _what_ exactly was a mystery to her and she also knew the one thing that mothers really hated to know, she knew that he had become sexually active with girls. Rose was fairly sure that he was under the impression that she was blind to that, but she knew all that went down with children, after all she was a spy and she gathered knowledge.

It was like one of those moments out of really romantic movies, when the camera would zoom in on the picture of the two people kissing and soft music would play and the sun would be setting in the background. It stayed like that for _precisely_ twenty seconds before DJ broke off from the kiss with a nervous chuckle. Rose actually had to clamp her hand above her mouth to keep from bursting out with laughter. There were so many memories running through her head that were trigged by the adorable look of DJ's face, it reminded her of so many time when Jake had kissed her at that age, including the very first time. It wasn't long before all the eyes in the room were turned to the sight of the former Huntsgirl with her hands covering her face and the stream of laughter that was escaping her mouth, "Oh my god Mom, I can't believe you did that?"

"R-Relax," Rose took several deep breaths in to calm her diaphragm, "I've been kissed pretty badly by people, so have Jackie and Erin."

"But you're all old," DJ snapped back, feeling the heat rushing to his cheeks when he felt Marissa's eyes look onto his, "I'd expect that."

Rose held up a finger and that effectively silenced DJ, like it or not, argumentative or not, he always obeyed his mother. His mouth shut as she plastered a teasing grin on her face and pointed to Erin and Jackie, "Correction, my dear, soon to be late son, they're both old, I'm not."

"You're four months younger than I am Rose," Erin protested from the other side of the Marissa and DJ.

"I know that," Rose nodded, "And your still older than me honey, either way. But at least you're not old as your Mom."

Jackie, who was standing next to Rose on the right side of the still very shocked and confused Marissa and DJ, scowled at the younger woman and brought her hand up to and flashed her a certain finger, "Bite me you little brat."

"Rain check," Rose said with a slight laugh before turning back to the two teenagers, "Well unless you're going to kiss again, let's all go sit dow-…"

She stopped in her tracks, caught in the sight of watching Marissa use those genetic Hutchinson reflexes to throw her arms around DJ's neck and pull him in for a larger kiss this time. Ok, this was slowly crossing a line that Rose wanted to avoid with her little amusing action.

While she did want to see what Marissa and DJ would do in situation like this, she didn't want to be a first hand witness to her son and the youngest of the Hutchinson Brood suck face. It had been hard enough to stomach Alyssa and Johnny and their public displays of affection. She hissed and clapped her hands loudly, "Alright, enough!"

Marissa and DJ broke off from each other. The sight would have been almost comical for Rose if it weren't her son who had been on the receiving end of that kiss. She felt that familiar rip of motherly protectiveness through her and hers was indeed a special kind of protectiveness, when she protected her children, it usually worked. When Rose threatened someone, they listened and she excelled in the art of getting the point across, "Sorry Rose, I got caught up in the moment…"

"Oh yeah, I can relate," Rose nodded, trying her best to lower her anger with the girl, and it was working, "Just pick my sons jaw up off the floor."

With that she turned and walked into the living room. The conversation would just be between her, Johnny, Jackie and Erin. She knew teenagers well enough to know that they'd be silently obsessing in their head over what just happened in the hall. Rose honestly knew that she had made her bed with that mistletoe thing. But when she thought about it afterwards, she was sure that she wasn't prepared to give DJ up yet.

* * *

Allowing Rachel to come out of exile from her bedroom, he had ushered her into the living room. This was the part that he loved. He looked to see his children's faces light up at the sight of the elaborately decorated room that could only be described as some gaudy fire hazard. As he expected, Rachel's face broke out in the small childlike joy that most people seemed to fall into during this holiday. It was clear that she was enraptured by the way she ran to the tree and fiddled through the mountain of gifts.

"I don't know how you do it Jake," said Haley as she walked to her brother's side and watched her nieces, one being two times older than the other, sort through the gifts, "That's a sight I love to see right there."

"It only happens during Christmas," Jake smiled as he put on arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer to him, "Now to your present little sister."

"Oh God," Haley rolled her eyes, "What in the hell is it?"

He ushered Haley over to the tree, and stepping away from her for a moment, he kneeled down. Tucked near the base of the tree was a tan envelope and Haley's breath caught in her throat when she saw the elaborate writing that was on the envelope itself. The high sweeping letters belonged to that over her mother. "Jake, w-what is that?"

"M-mom," Jake choked on his own breath before opening the tan envelope and it took him a moment to actually place his hand in the envelope, "She wrote us all letters before she died one for me, you, Alyssa and Dad."

At hearing this, Alyssa left her sister's side and got up to join her Father and Aunt. She had seen that envelope before. Yes, she remembered her Grandmother's funeral, and she remembered her Grandmother's Lawyer giving her father that folder. She hadn't asked him what it was at the time and as time passed, she simply forgot about it, "I remember that Daddy."

"I know," Jake nodded pulling the first paper out and examining the first individual white envelope and the name inscribed on it, which was his sisters, handing it to her, he smiled at Alyssa, "I-I didn't want to even touch them after she died, so I stuck them in a box in my closet and forgot about them. I found them the other day and I figured it was time."

By the time he had finished explaining the situation. All three of them had their letters that Susan had written them nearly twenty five years prior. It had taken Jake a great deal of strength to even look at the folder again after such a long time. It was perhaps his last connection to his mother that he had left and at the time he wasn't willing to acknowledge that she was indeed dead, and apart of him wasn't even to accept it now.

But Jake had pulled the envelope down and he had to force himself to actually give these letters to his sister and daughter. Jake didn't know how he was going to handle his father's letter. Perhaps he could mail it to him, or leave it outside of his apartment with a burning sack of dog crap. It didn't matter anyway, as far as Jake and Haley was concerned, the Jonathan Long that had raised them was dead and never coming back.

"Oh, I have had cried enough today," Alyssa whispered as her eyes drifted over her Grandmother's elegant writing. He smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. Jake didn't know how much Alyssa remembered her Grandmother, but back in those days, she was practically in love with her.

* * *

"Ok," Rose said, "I've bought enough food for thirty people and I am about to pull my hair out if I have cook all of that in forty eight hours."

Erin smiled sympathetically, "I'll stop by tomorrow and give you a hand with that. Natalia and Brant called me and said they were excited, though between you and me, Nat said that she wasn't thrilled to see Alyssa."

From the moment that Natalia –Erin's only daughter- and Alyssa met each other, they didn't like each other. It was terribly amusing for Rose to watch that, and she wouldn't mind a little entertainment when all of the families gathered in her home. Alyssa's relationship with Brant –Erin's youngest Son- was least to say chummy, you could almost call them friends. They got along very well, and Brant was arguably responsible for Erin and Alyssa repairing their relationship, "I can already see it."

"What, your daughter and mine glaring holes at each other?" Erin offered.

"And Johnny trying to bridge the divide," Rose answered with a snort.

Erin smiled brightly at the thought, "Oh honey, he's tried to get his sister to get along with Alyssa. But either Nat slaps him in the face or Alyssa make's him sleep on the couch. Face it, Lyss and Nat will never happen."

"You did make the point very clear to Natalia to watch her mouth while she's in my home and around my kids, didn't you?" Rose raised an eyebrow.

The look that came over Erin's face was something of a motherly protectiveness and an amused understanding, "Yeah. Normally I wouldn't have even humored the idea of you kicking my daughter's ass, but we're guests in your home and she's a big girl. Just don't beat her too bad."

"You know how protective I am over my kids, I'm serious Erin if she opens her mouth and insults one of kids then she's gonna get it," Rose warned her. They all knew of her protectiveness and how serious she took it. It was often a joke among the Long, Hutchinson and Sindacco Families that Rose would run off the deep end one day and end up in a Mental Health Clinic. But on the other side of things, they all understood her reasoning and lived with it.

Erin nodded, "I'll keep a tight rein on her, you're not the only one who knows how to be control and torture their children, though you are the master."

"And that's why you're an amateur," Rose smirked before turning back to the other part of the house, where DJ and Marissa were '_Talking_' and cleared her throat, "DJ, grab your coat, I have some things to pick up before we get home."

"You're leaving already?" Johnny asked as he walked out from the hall.

Rose nodded with a smirk and walked forward to embrace her son in-law, "I'm afraid so Johnny, I'll see you tomorrow. And I'll be sure to send your wife home at a godly hour for her to get a good night sleep. You be sure to tell those Grandbabies of mine that I love them and I've got presents for them."

"Will do," Johnny smiled, "And by the way, Lyss just called me and said that they have the apartment set up and it looks so cheery it's almost cliché."

"Oh my god," Rose sighed, "I wonder what it'll be this year."

* * *

**Authors Note:/ Sorry for the few days of no updates. I work for a politician in Arizona (I won't say who) but in case you've been under a rock for the past week, a member of our House of Representatives Delegation was shot and we've been put into a tail spin. I know you don't have to do this, but even if you are religious or not religious, American or an International, I would ask you to keep Congresswoman Gabby Giffords in your thoughts and prayers. **

**To the story, there should be two more chapters after this one. Jake, Rose and their kids will all get home. And the epilogue will be huge, funny, and wild after that. Anyway I hope you enjoyed this installment. **


	7. PART VII

**Part VII**

Rose smiled and patted DJ on the shoulder as they walked down the hall towards their apartment. Things were quite tranquil in their family. That was the way that she wanted things and she so rarely got them like that. Fiddling with her keys, she reached the door and inserted the key into the lock. When she opened the door, she was met with what was perhaps the most dazzling sight that she had ever seen. Well, the most dazzling sight that she had seen in that year. Her husband had done it once again.

Hanging her keys on the set of hooks near the door, she turned and ushered DJ in, "Come on, and make sure to stay at least ten feet away from your dad, you don't want to get hit by the initial blast of ego, son."

"Hey I heard that," Jake mockingly scowled as he stepped forward out of the living room and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist, "Hey babe."

"Hi yourself," Rose smiled reaching up and snaking her hands around his neck, "You seem in awfully good mood for someone who's worked for most of the day putting up Christmas crap. How the hell is that possible?"

Jake smiled and reached forward to kiss her lightly on the cheek, "Well, I contracted some slave labor, now I know why we had all those little things called children. They do come in useful sometimes. So how was your day?"

She smirked and looked over to DJ who was grinning, "Well, you'll be thrilled to know that my son actually managed to top my all time record on shooting guns. 98 Percent accuracy, and that's why I'm proud to be his Mommy!"

He looked over at DJ and laughed. Holding up his hand, DJ smacked it and marched off into the living room. Rose smiled at her sons back and then looked back to her husband, "He's going to be quite the little felon one day."

"I know," Jake smiled reaching down to kiss her lightly on the lips, "Now, I have something to show you right now that will blow your mind away."

* * *

When Rose actually made it into the living room, the sight was breathtaking for her. The six people that were around the tree, looking at the ornaments and fooling around with the presents came from her. Though she had seen all of her children in a room together before, that really had been one of those moments where it slapped her in the face. All of those people in that room came from her, they grew inside of her body and she pushed them all out through her uterus. They gave her some of the happiest moments of her life and when they were born, some of the more painful. But the point of her thoughts was this, she was happiest when she was around all of her kids.

"Well," Rose smiled as all six of those precious faces turned and faced her from the tree, "If it isn't all of my dainty, precious little babies."

Michael scowled at her, "We're not babies."

Rose rolled her eyes and walked forward, "Well, you're still my babies and I love you all. Yes, even you Alyssa even in your old age."

It was the truth. Her eldest spawn looked odd from her proportion compared to that of her siblings. She could only imagine how weird it was for her daughter to sit with these kids and know that they were her brothers and sisters when she herself had the amount of children that she did. It brought a smile to her face when she looked at Alyssa who had her youngest child Kailey sitting between her legs fiddling with a present, "What is it Mom?"

Rose looked up to Alyssa's face and smiled, "Nothing, I'm just wondering if you little free loaders want to open a present tonight? But I can understa-…"

She was interrupted by the cheer of all six of her children, yes, including her _thirty_ year old daughter. Rose smiled when she felt a hand squeeze her shoulder. If Rose knew Jake, which she was sure she did after everything that they had been through together, he was feeling the same pride that she was at the sight before them. Their kids, all of them, were beaming their perfect teeth at them, "What do you think Jake? Should we let them open one gift?"

"Eh, I don't know, what do you think they'll offer in return?" Jake asked.

Rose looked back at Jake with a wink, "Well, if Erin and I had some help tomorrow to prepare Christmas Dinner, I think I'd let them open a gift."

A chorus of 'We'll help you and Erin, Mom!' came from the group of kids and Rose laughed, "Alright, you can open one gift, one, you all got that?"

And of course, the nods came almost instantaneously.

* * *

"You know," Jake said as he shut the door to the bedroom, "I love my life."

Rose smirked as she slowly began to tie her hair back into a braid. The room was cozy and warm, so much more comfortable than outside. Rose loved the heat. Perhaps New York wasn't the right place for that, but hell she loved this city and she could never move away from it if she had a choice. Turning to face her husband, who was at that moment, eyeing her suggestively, Rose winked and walked over to her dresser. At the foot of the dresser sat a pair of leather boots and a small pink bag, "Are those new boots Rose?"

"Why yes they are," She smirked with a laugh, "You know I was finishing up my Christmas Shopping yesterday, and I went to some fancy little lingerie store on Sax, I think the name of it was _fanny-wrappers_ or something.."

Jake's eyes widened as Rose picked up the small pink bag, "…And the salesgirl buttered me up and convinced me to buy this stringy, lacy, black number. She said my husband's eyes would get to the size of quarters if I did buy it, and she also convinced me to buy this pair of really slutty looking boots…"

By that time, Rose had already fished the laciest bra Jake had ever seen out of the bag by her finger, "I caved, now I don't do this every year, but riddle me this Dragon Boy, are you ready for your extra-special, extra early present?"

Jake fell to his knees and began to pant like a dog, "Yes, Master…"

"Good," Rose ruffled his hair, "I'll go get ready then."


	8. PART VIII

**Part IX**

In the Midwest you had those typical roosters waking you up, but when you lived in midtown Manhattan, it was typically the sounds of trashcans banging or cars backfiring, today it was both. Rose had grown used to it over the years since she returned from Los Angeles, but to be frank the typical noises in the morning in that town were the same. But she soon fazed them out as she walked down the hall towards the kitchen. It was Christmas Eve and she'd spend the entire day, cooking and quelling her kids for the big day.

Dressed in a simple blue robe, she groaned at the sight of herself in the mirror. Her hair was wild, tangled and just in general chaos. Small bite marks covered her neck and the entire lower portion of her body was sore, well if _you'd_ spent most of the night having sex then you'd be in the same boat. She'd skip the arduous beauty ritual of straightening her hair and applying her clown makeup today, if Jake wanted her to look pretty after what she did for him last night then he could kiss her whole ass. Now she had to focus on cooking dinner for a few dozen poor bastards who had to cook her food, "You look like hell. I take it Jake enjoyed his present?"

There, at her Kitchen Table, sat Erin Hutchinson in all of her primp and manicured glory, _lousy bitch_, "How in the hell did you get into my home?"

"DJ let me in," Erin smiled as she took a sip of her coffee, "So you didn't answer my question honey, did Jake enjoy that Christmas Present he got?"

Rose smiled as she took a slow, almost pained seat at the table, "Yeah, he enjoyed it until about four in the morning for a grand total of eight times."

"So I guess you win this week," Erin mock frowned and slammed her fist down on the table, "Damn, I thought I had you. You are truly the best."

"Yeah tell that to my ass," Rose winced, reaching back to rub her behind.

Erin giggled and clapped her hands, "Ew …I knew you two did it that way!"

"Don't worry," Rose stuck her tongue out at her friend, "We did it the other way too, but when you've had six children doing it _that_ way you'd be a little anxious about vaginal intercourse. But I have to admit, it's still the king."

The younger woman chuckled into her hand, "So, where do we start?"

"Well, I want you to start chopping fruit for the_ surprise_, fruit salad," Rose sighed as she threw her head back, "And I will begin the painstaking task of stuffing five pounds of breadcrumbs up two dead turkey's ass. Excuse me."

Erin snickered, "You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?"

"Oh don't be butthurt because I'm getting it better then you are lately."

"Bitch," Erin mockingly sneered.

"Excuse me," Rose turned and smiled sweetly, "That's _Queen_ Bitch too you."

* * *

**-Three Hours Later-**

After a shower, and twenty minutes of fast paced beautification, she was ready. Her entire body ached and she wanted nothing more than to punch her husband awake. Don't get her wrong, she enjoyed the pervious night's events, but she should have taken into account that she'd have to cook for thirty and if her husband wasn't such a man she might have been able too deal with her exhaustion. What the hell, it was Christmas Eve, let the pig sleep in. She was the only one in her entire family who had a job after all. But then Jake made the biggest mistake that he'd ever make today, he let out a loud snore.

Rose stalked over to the bed and biting her lip, she brought her hand up and backhanded him against his forehead, "Jake! Get up!"

"Oww," Jake whined as he grasped his head and rubbed, "What the hell did you do that for?"

She bit her lip from the adorably pained expression on her husband's face, "Like you've told me ever year that we've been married. It's Christmas Eve."

Jake grumbled and pulled himself up. He took a deep breath in and looked up this wife's smiling face, "How the hell can you be so cheery?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not cheery," Rose's smile suddenly turned into a scowl, "I'm exhausted and a bit anxious, I'm simply acting."

"Are the rest of the freeloaders here yet?" Jake asked as he scratched his head.

Rose shook her head while she turned and walked to the mirror to check her hair, "Alyssa, Johnny and those kids will be here in a few, Erin, Mark, Brant and that little cow Natalia will be here within the hour. Jackie, Marissa and Daniel just called, they just got into Brooklyn and you know traffic from there."

"So are we going to give DJ his car tonight or tomorrow?" Jake asked as he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

She turned and her eyes widened, "You ended up buying one? How did you do that, as I recall you told me that gave up the search for one?"

"I did," Jake nodded, "But I thought about it some more and I called the dealership and told them that I would take that Mercedes. You'll never believe that you could order a car over the phone. But yeah, I told them to park it in that garage across the street. And before you ask, it is a secure garage, it closes at nine and you have to pay to park in there. They'll even be a big great bow on top of it and all that junk."

Rose smiled, "Fine, eh, I'd prefer to give that too him tomorrow, I have my own special gift for him."

"Oh," Jake finally stood up and approached her from behind, "And you didn't discuss this with me before hand, I thought the car was going to be the big present this year?"

She turned and narrowed her eyes, but her lips were quirked upwards in a smile, "I -…I ah, I got him a …Desert Eagle…"

Jake blinked, and his mouth dropped to a comical proportion, "Eh, Rose …I know I just didn't have a stroke, but did I hallucinate? Did you just say that you bought our son a _GUN _for Christmas?"

Rose turned around and placed her hands on her hips. Yes, that sounded insane, even to her, but this wasn't the sanest family and DJ did have a propensity for Guns. The moment that he used it for the wrong reasons, she was going to take it back herself and never return it. She trusted her son with the gun. She had taught him that a gun is a very dangerous thing to own if you didn't know how to use them or when to use them. And besides, Jake had told her to nurture DJ in Huntsclan-ish behaviors, and this was really a rite of passage when she was growing up, "Jake, I know what you're going to say. But I will keep close eye on him and the moment that it starts to be a problem, I will take it back anyway. We've been to all of the classes and hey, he's got me as his mother. I'm not going to let it get out of hand."

"Yeah and the moment someone at his school pisses him off, boom, he'll blow their head off," Jake stated as his went back and plopped down on the bed.

"That's not going to happen," Rose reassured him, "I have drilled it into his head since the day that he could walk that it is not okay to shoot people, and that you only do it when you absolutely need too."

Jake chuckled, "Well if someone is pissing me off, sometimes I really think I need to shoot them."

"Yeah but you'd miss," Rose shoot back with a sour look, "Look, the gun is in my name. I've made sure that DJ won't go on a bender and I'll check it every now and then to see if he's shot it. DJ is perfectly capable and responsible to have possession of that gun, because face it, my son is currently the smartest out of all of our children. I mean he is my son and he did inherit my heritage as oppose to yours."

"He also inherited your brain," Jake smiled and got up from the bed to stand face to face with Rose, "This isn't going to end well, but I trust you and I trust you to make sure our son doesn't kill anything."

Rose beamed at him and tied her arms around his neck, "Don't worry, if he does lose his mind, I'll point him in the direction of his grandfather…"

"That's why I love you baby," Jake smirked before he leaned down kissed her on the cheek, "You always know what to say to bring out of my moods, now you take your perky little ass…"

Jake's hand skirted down her back and patted her bottom causing Rose to wince, "Don't forget sore, perky little ass."

"Sorry," Jake smiled sheepishly, "Why don't you take your _sore_, perky ass out there and entertain our various spawn and their spawn."

* * *

**Authors Note:/ This is the set up for the epilogue. It will be a large one consisting of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I almost stopped writing on this one for the simple fact that it's February. But I enjoy writing in this series and I'll continue everything that I started for Anything and Everything. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I had fun writing it. Leave a review for me, it's the nice thing to do. **


	9. Part IX

**Part IX **

Rose hated cooking, yes she was good at it, but it was just something that she really despised doing. Most of the time she cooked the meals, on those seldom long assignments with her work however, Jake would do it. But on holidays and special days like this, she would put on her apron. By the time Jake emerged from the bedroom, most of it was in the oven or on the table ready to be eaten. DJ was the only one of the kids up and the rest of the family was due to arrive very soon. Turning back to watch her husband stride into the kitchen, she grinned with Erin smirked coyly at him, "Hey Jake."

"Hello Erin my dear," Jake returned her grin, "You're here awfully early."

"Well you're up awfully late," Erin took a sip of her coffee after she chuckled again.

Getting up from the kitchen, Jake walked over to Rose and placed his hands on her hips and kissed her neck. Smiling against her skin, Jake looked back over to Erin and winked knowingly, "I got my Christmas Present Early, and I was playing with it all night."

"Yes," Rose smiled and looked back at her husband, "But as the person who gave you that gift. I would like to remind you that our Grandchildren and our Children are going to be up and all around us and I don't think foreplay would be appropriate in front of them."

The bell to the oven went off and Rose sighed in relief, push Jake back playfully, she grabbed that pot holders on the counter and opened the oven to pull out the second turkey. While she was bending down to pull it out, she felt Jake press up against her ass and then she heard Erin giggle again. Sighing, she put it down on the oven and turned around to glare at him. Slapping the pot holders on the counter, she was about to chew him out when the door to the apartment opened, "You are so lucky! I'll get you later."

Jake merely smirked and watched her walk out of the kitchen. He laughed to himself and smiled at Erin who was laughing behind her hand. If everything went like that for the rest of the day it would prove to be one hell of a Christmas Eve. It had been tradition in the family since DJ was born to open the smaller gifts on Christmas Eve and save the larger ones for Christmas Day. Hearing Alyssa, Johnny and their kids pile into the apartment he sighed and looked back to Erin, "Gotta put that damn Grandparent face back on."

Taking one more sip of her coffee, she nodded rolled her eyes and turned back to the entrance of the kitchen to watch their horde of Grandchildren pile in. They were an affectionate group of kids, the smaller kids would come up and capture them in a tight hug around the torso and the older kids would hug them in the typical, almost half hearted way teenagers would. When all of them were properly greeted, Jake and Erin stood up from the table and embraced their children. Jake hugged Alyssa tightly and kissed her on the forehead. Erin repeated the gesture and ruffled her son's hair. Jake looked and didn't see Rose with them, "Where's your mom at, _did she escape_?"

Alyssa laughed, "She's getting DJ, Rachel, Michael, Daemon and Kailey up. It might take a little while."

She turned and smiled at her mother in-law, "Where's the rest of the family?"

"Brant will be here soon," Erin smiled and walked forward to hug her daughter in-law, "Mark is picking up Natalia in twenty minutes from the airport. Mama, Marissa and Daniel are on their way too. Now Alyssa, with Natalia, I really want you two to start and try to get along."

She held up her hands, "I won't talk to her, although I must warn you that I'll be extra sensitive to any subtle barb."

"I know," Erin nodded, "I told her that she was to keep quiet about you or she'd have her behind kicked all the way back to Oklahoma."

"Cranky Children alert," Rose said from behind them and they all turned as Rose led her cranky and irritated offspring into the kitchen.

* * *

The door to the apartment opened again about twenty minutes later and this time it was Marissa, Daniel and Jackie. The process went the same as it did when Johnny and Alyssa got there. Erin and Johnny embraced their family members and Daniel. He had been accepted into the family. DJ and Marissa made puppy eyes at each other subtly. And they gathered around in the living room to wait for Erin's Husband and her two children. Some of them were getting cranky to say the least, but they had to eat before they began opening presents, not to mention have everyone there. They would start to open presents a little after five, but they still had to eat dinner. Alyssa, who really didn't like Natalia in the first place, was the first one to speak up. She was sitting on the couch and mumbling to herself "I swear to god if they don't get here soon, I'll kick their-…"

"Hey guys," Mark's voice came from the apartment door.

All of them looked up and saw Mark, accompanied by his daughter Natalia and his son Brant. This greeting was a little old, Brant and Natalia greeted Jackie and their mother sweetly. They gave hugs to all of Johnny and Alyssa's Children. They hugged Rose and Jake. But when it came time for them to greet Johnny and Alyssa themselves, it was a different story. Alyssa and Natalia air kissed each other and quickly backed away, Brant and Johnny shook each other's hands cordially but didn't say anything to each other, but it was different when those combinations were reversed. Natalia hugged Johnny enthusiastically and he returned it. But Johnny scowled slightly when he saw his half brother hug his wife so tightly that he picked her up and twirled her around.

But what could you do about family?

* * *

**Authors Note: I know it's been awhile since I updated this and it's really no longer Christmas, but I've been busy with all the other stories. I've decided to wedge in this chapter and the next one will be the last one. Okay! Leave me a review **


	10. PART X

**Part X**

There were twenty two people in her apartment and Rose was sure that she was violating some sort of spacing regulation, but she didn't care. Now that they had finally finished eating dinner, it now came time for the event that all the children had been whining for, the Present Opening Period. She had kept all of the children even the older children and the other adults in the kitchen while Jake and Haley arranged all of the gifts under the tree. It took longer than she expected due to the amount of gifts from the others.

Clapping her hands together, she smiled patiently at the crowd in her kitchen. Crowd, hell it would be an angry mob in a moment if she didn't let them open their gifts, "Alright, we're going to do this in an orderly fashion and you better not whine or I'll go in there and set your gifts on fire!"

Alyssa pinched the bridge of her nose, "God, mom you're so morbid."

"_Anyway_," Rose glared at her eldest daughter before turning back to her other children, children of her friends, her friends and grandchildren, "We'll go in order, youngest to oldest. That would be Liza, Andrew, Kailey, Alex, Mike, Daemon, Travis, Jack, Rachel, Brian, DJ, Marissa, Brant, Lu, Natalia, Alyssa, John, Haley, Erin, myself, Jake, Mark and Jackie, understood?"

Jackie looked at Rose dryly, "I'm all a shiver."

"Enough," Rose said, casting an evil eye over them, "_Is it understood_?"

The chorus of '_Yes Mom, Yes Rose, Yes Mrs. Long and Yes_ _Grandma_' came from them and Rose rolled her eyes before looking back into the living room and seeing Jake give her the confirmation. She sighed and looked back to her family, "Alright, on your mark, get ready …GO!"

And the herd stampeded into the living room.

* * *

"Alright," Rose said, picking up the nearest package for Kailey, they had been through Liza and Andrew and that had been painful enough. There were so many gifts for so many people that this was bound to go on all night, "This is for Kailey, it's from Santa, with help from Mom and Dad."

Rose smiled and handed her daughter the small package, it was only a gift card to her favorite little store where she liked to buy her clothes. She and Jake had arranged the gifts from smallest to largest with their own kids. If she remembered correctly, Kailey's last gift was a really expensive little dress that she had been wanting all year. Rose turned back to her husband and sat down next to him on the floor as they watched their daughter.

"$200 for the Little Boutique, awesome, thanks you guys!" Kailey stood up and went over to hug her mother and father tightly. Rose and Jake laughed and hugged their daughter back as she pulled herself away from them.

Jake winked at his wife, "Your Mom knew that you'd love it."

"I do," Kailey smiled, "Do you think we can go spend it soon?"

"December 26th," Rose answered with her own smile, "I'll take you myself."

Liza looked at the gift card that Kailey had just received and looked back to her Grandparents, "Do you think I can go with you guys, huh Grandma?"

"Sure," Rose nodded, "Just ask your parents."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and nodded to her daughter, "We can do that."

The American Dragon elbowed her husband in the ribs for he to get up, and Johnny scowled before getting up from the floor and walking to the massive fort of gifts that was built around the tree and spied the package. Anyone could tell it was a frame. He spied his youngest son and handed it to him.

Alex Sindacco smiled at his father and ripped the paper off of the frame in less than a second. His eyes widened, and he looked at the both of his smiling presents, "Mom, Dad, is this what I think it is? Is it real, is it?"

"We had to order it from a Pawn Shop in Las Vegas over the Internet," John nodded and put his arm around Alyssa's shoulder, "That is a genuine news article from 1776 announcing the Declaration of Independence."

DJ leaned over his nephew's shoulder to see the document. He smiled and looked back to his own parents, "I would kill to have something like this."

"Good to know," Jake smiled at him and turned to Rose, "Make a note dear."

Rose nodded, "Really old piece of paper, check."

Alex and DJ were common in the family in their strange love for history and the both of them possessed a knowledge of it that was well beyond their ages. DJ possessed College Level knowledge of history and he was only in High School and Andrew knew American History like the back of his hand and he had a High School level knowledge of it, at the age of 12.

When the awe passed through everyone, Rose slapped her husband on the arm and motioned for him to get up. They moved towards the tree and moved two sizable boxes of the same size out and towards their twin sons Michael and Daemon. But they didn't stop there. They went back and picked up to small boxes and sat them down on the larger boxes.

Jake smiled at them, "Well, have at it."

Michael and Daemon grinned at their parents with identical smiles and at the very same time launched themselves at the packages. The smaller packages were …helmets of all things. Rose snickered at her son's shocked expressions, "There so you don't break your heads with the stuff in the bigger boxes, when your dad bought them, he didn't buy the helmets."

When the twins tore open the wrappings of the larger boxes, Haley laughed hardily and clapped at the irony of what her two nephew's had received. The two large boxes were, in actuality, two skateboards, one red and one blue and the thought of those two skateboarding made Haley laugh even harder and heavier, "Oh my god, I think I just got déjà-vu, really Jake?"

"Yeah," Jake shrugged to his sister, "I thought they'd like them."

Evidently they did when they shot up from their seats on the floor and threw themselves around the midsections of their parents. Rose grinned at her husband and sent him a subtle wink. It was a running joke between them, either their two sons were ADHD or they were just overly hyper without that disorder. Either way, they loved them and managed to keep up with them.

* * *

Rachel looked in awe at the black leather, stiletto boots that her mother had given her. They had a conversation about them months ago. Rachel shared her mother's fashion sense and ever since she had hit puberty, she had wanted to own a pair of those boots. Jake and Rose had talked it over and decided that it was time that she could get a pair. He was hesitant for obvious reasons and Rose felt that she was starting a little young for those kinds of clothes, but they reached an impasse and decided to get them for her.

"You can keep them under a few conditions," Jake instructed sternly.

The fifteen year old girl nodded, "Name them."

"You use them on formal occasions and on dates with boys that _we've_ met before," Rose said, crossing her arms over her chest and ignoring the fascinated looks from all of the other people, "You can use them with School Dances that allow them and don't use them to get rides home for curfew."

Rachel laughed and nodded before sliding the boots next to her. She jumped slightly when Natalia picked the boots up and observed them, her mouth was wide. She looked up to Rose and Jake, "These are gorgeous. I saw these in the window on 5th Avenue last week, they were $3000 flat!"

"Natalia, it's rude to do that," Mark admonished his daughter.

"We spoil our children on Christmas, is that so wrong?" Rose glared at her.

Alyssa didn't hide the cold stare that she sent to her sister in-law and under the pressure, Natalia put the boots down and smiled sheepishly at the former Huntsgirl, "Nothing's wrong with it I suppose, I'm just jealous, I've wanted a pair of these for months."

"Well Natalia," Alyssa fought hard to keep the contempt out of her voice for the girl, "If you go to College and get the right job, or, and I suspect this will happen, you marry the right man, you'll be able to buy a hundred of them."

A snicker passed between the children that understood that, Erin bit her lip to keep that snicker in. Mark looked uncomfortable. Jackie was sharing the same fate as her daughter, Jake and Rose looked away, Johnny sent an admonishing glare to his wife and Brant openly laughed at his sister and made a thumbs up towards Alyssa.

* * *

Jackie handed the envelope to Marissa with a smile and sat next to her and waited for the moment to happen. She wasn't good at giving gifts, but she knew how to give a meaningful gift. Jackie wanted the world for Marissa and she was prepared to give it to her. She grinned as she watched the girl open the envelope up and pull the check out. The grin grew at her thick gasp.

"Jackie," Marissa threw her arms around Jackie and hugged her firmly and tightly, "What on earth is this much money for? Have you finally lost it?"

She chuckled, "Not yet, that is a full amount of tuition for two years of a Community College of your choosing and another two years of a University of your choosing as long as they are both in the state of New York."

Marissa laughed again and kissed Jackie on the check, "Thank you!"

* * *

Jake smiled and handed his nephew a simple envelope, Luong looked up to his uncle and smiled back before tearing it open lightly. Inside were a pair of round trip tickets, they were to China. Jake knew that his sister and her son had family back there and he knew for that fact that Luong was homesick sometimes, "Lu, that's more of a present for you and your mom. Your Aunt and I thought that you'd like to go back to China and visit your family."

He looked back to his mother and smiled, "How about it Mom?"

"Sounds Great," Haley smiled and stood up embrace her brother, "Thanks Brother."

* * *

Natalia accepted the large package from her brother and sister in-law and tore the packaging off of it like one of the younger kids had. When the paper was completely torn off, she looked up to Johnny and Alyssa and smiled at them, despite Alyssa's presence there, "This is exactly what I wanted!"

Alyssa sighed inwardly, she had pegged her sister in-law correctly and she would tease her husband relentlessly in private later. She was the one who pushed them to get her one of those fancy makeup carts, "We saw it at Macy's and we knew that you would absolutely adore it. Do you?"

"I love it," She smiled and quickly stood up to walk over to her brother and kiss him on the cheek and genuinely hug Alyssa, "I'm already in love!"

Alyssa shared a glance with her mother and mouthed '_Wow_' to which Rose snickered behind her hand and shook her head at her daughter's mouth.

* * *

"Ok," Rose said, standing up and walking to the increasingly diminished pile of presents that were being unwrapped tonight, "Since your father decided to give you his own gift Alyssa, might I add I wanted those earrings myself."

She sent a cold glare back at her husband who returned the glare with one of his own, "Hey, I got my daughter a gift of her own, so shut it!"

"Okay, Okay! Anyway," Rose shook her head and grabbed the envelope that was meant for both Johnny and Alyssa. She didn't know what to get the older ones, so she had settled on getting them paper items. She turned and handed it to Johnny, "This is my gift to the both of you."

Johnny opened the envelope and opened the card that was in it and out of them fell two tickets. Alyssa picked up one of them and Johnny picked up the other, the both of their jaws dropped at their parents, or Rose's generosity. The former Huntsboy smiled at his mother in-law, "You got us first class tickets on a luxury cruise to the Bahamas this summer!"

"Thanks Mom," Alyssa said genuinely, but then she took on a joking tone in her voice, "But aren't we missing six other tickets to this cruise ship?"

Alyssa motioned to her curious children, Rose smiled at her daughter and then turned and winked at her Grandchildren, "Here's the gift part, Erin and I have offered to take them for the week. If she can't take them then we will. Consider it the honeymoon that you guys never got have."

Erin nodded from behind Johnny and then leaned forward to kiss her son on the cheek and hug her daughter in-law from behind, "That's right, consider that my present for the both of you too. Rose and I both chipped in on it."

"That's right, we each paid for our own offspring," Rose grinned.

* * *

Rose handed Jake his gift, it was small square box and by small, it was really small and Jake had a strange inclination as to what it was from its size and weight. He looked dumbly at his wife before he ripped the thin tape on the small box and lifted the top off of it. His jaw dropped at what he saw in the box, had Rose lost her mind? She bought him a pack of cigarettes?

"Rose," Jake looked dumbly at her, "Are you serious? Have you just confirmed the rumors? Are you completely insane? I'll call the institution."

She scoffed, "Shut up Jake, I just thought that you've been a good boy all year and even you deserve a little break. Just make sure that it lasts you because I will be damned if I ever buy you another pack of cigarettes."

Jake _squealed_, like a girl and hugged his wife extremely tightly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, you're the best wifey in history!"

The former Huntsgirl smiled and patted her head, "I know baby."

* * *

"What's Mom's present?" Rachel asked curiously.

Erin snickered, "I think I have an idea of what it was."

The whole room's attention was now focused on Rose and she blushed slightly at the thought of last night's events. If they only knew what her present was and man had the gifts been bestowed. She laughed nervously and there was a light chuckle from the people who got it, "Don't worry baby, your dad gave me my present last night, I really enjoyed it."

With that, Erin fell over from laughter.

* * *

Rose and Jake stood up near tree and looked at their eldest son who had moved to the center of the makeshift circle. Rose held a medium sized box in her hand and Jake held a small box and a tan envelope in the other. Jake had decided to give DJ his car keys early. He didn't have the energy to deal with it in the morning and besides, he wanted to finish giving Rose her gift.

"Ok," Rose said, smiling down at DJ, "I know we diverged from our game plan from oldest to youngest, but we saved you for last for a good reason."

Jake spoke in a haughty mocking tone, "In honor of your sixteenth birthday, your mother and I have decided to bestow upon you two great gifts."

Then he looked at the box in Rose's hand, the gun, and he spoke in his regular tone, "…and one gift I didn't exactly approve of, give it to him."

Rose kneeled down in front of her son and pushed the box in front of him and reached forward to hug him around his neck and kiss him on the cheek before pulling back and grinning, "This is undoubtedly the proudest moment of life and as the only one of my children who inherited the Mark of the Huntsclan. I've decided to get you something that we all got at 16."

"…you didn't get him-…" Erin was cut off by her son.

"Why would she get him one of those?" Johnny looked back at his mother.

Jackie was the last to speak, "…she got him one of them…it's the car of the Huntsclan. Let's not take this moment away from him, shut up you two."

DJ looked back from the Hutchinson's and his brother in-law to his mother one more time and back down at the box. He lightly ripped at the paper and the brown box was quickly revealed. He pulled at the tab on the brown box and lifted the lid. Inside was silver plated Desert Eagle gently placed on two Styrofoam racks so it wouldn't move. He pulled the gun out of the box slowly and handled the barrel, "…-Mom, is this a Desert Eagle?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded with a smile, "Hope you like it, I had to pull some strings to get it because technically you can't buy these on the market here in New York. I have a permit from the Government, it's in my name but the gun is yours. I got one when I was sixteen, and you're getting one too."

"I didn't get a Desert Eagle," Johnny sulked, "Lucky kid."

Erin smiled, "What did your father get you?"

"He gave me crash course in sniper rifle training," Johnny answered with a bit of smile, "What did Grandma get you on your sixteenth?"

Jackie answered, "I taught her how to use an M-16."

All the non-Huntsclan people in the room looked at them as if they were psychotic, but they had gotten used to the gun play between these guys and wisely choose to ignore it. DJ placed the gun gently back down in the box and on the Styrofoam racks and reached up to tightly hug his mother.

"This is the best present that I've ever gotten! Thank you so much," He laughed and he practically tightened his grip around his mother's neck.

When Rose managed to pull herself away from her son, she grasped his cheek and smiled, "Your Christmas is about to get better, and don't you say that, you'll cause your father to become disillusioned, understood?"

DJ nodded and looked over to his father, "What have you got there?"

"Well," Jake handed him the small box, "In honor of your sixteenth birthday, I've decided to honor Human and sane rituals and get you one of these."

When he pulled the top portion of the box off, he pulled the car keys to the Mercedes out and fiddled with them. Everyone but Rose, Jake, Alyssa, Haley and Rachel gasped at the sight of them and some of them were insanely jealous when the say the insignia on the keys. He looked back up to his father with a childlike smile, "You got me keys to a car?"

"Not just any car," He smiled and handed him the tan packet. He waited until DJ pulled the order form for the LS Benz and a picture of the sleek car out of the folder, "They're the keys to your brand new LS Mercedes Benz and if you'll look further in that packet you'll find some money for gas."

DJ down into the packet and pulled out a money clip, on it was a thick wad of money and he just about fainted, "I-I don't know what to say?"

"Just say Merry Christmas and thank you Mom and Dad for the gun and the car that some adults would kill to have," Jake smiled as he and Rose reached down to hug their son tightly, "Don't wreck it or kill anyone with that gun."

* * *

**Later that night**

"You know," Jake said, slipping his shirt off of his chest as he and his wife got ready for bed that night, "I love opening gifts every single year."

Rose smiled, "I love spoiling our kids."

"And rubbing it in the other's faces," Jake snorted and walked up behind his wife who was standing in front of the full length mirror. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. His chin was on her shoulder as he rocked her back and forth gently, "Do you ever wish we had another?"

The former Huntsgirl chuckled disbelievingly, "Are you kidding-… _yes_…"

Jake's eyes widened, "Really?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded, "I came to that conclusion when we gave Kailey that dress. I'm really going to miss having these moments with our kids."

He smiled adoringly at her, "We can still spoil them, did you see what we did with Johnny and Lyss. We can give them really expensive earrings and cruises and offer to take their children for a week. It will never end Rose, it doesn't."

She nodded, "I know, I'm just going to miss having young kids."

"I will too," Jake said, turning her around and squatting down slightly to pull her legs out from under her and pull her into his arms, bridal style, "Hey, I didn't finish giving you your gift, how about we go at it for a few more hours."

Rose smiled and leaned forward to kiss him, "Why don't we Dragon Boy?"

* * *

**Authors Note: I finally finished it and it's summer of the next year already, that just goes to show you my attention span for my stories. Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't show everyone getting a gift, but rest assured, everyone did get a gift and it was big and good. I wanted to write gift giving scenes of characters that I'm trying to develop and how did I do? I enjoy feedback.**

**Thanks!**


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